Environmental organisations worldwide are increasingly using artificial intelligence to monitor wildfires, protect endangered species and analyse climate data, even as the technology's rising energy and water consumption raises concerns about its environmental impact.
A Reuters survey of 15 major environmental and conservation organisations found that all were using AI in some form, despite concerns over the electricity, water and emissions associated with the data centres powering the technology.
In Cambodia, Conservation International is using AI to analyse satellite data and alert community forest patrols to potential wildfires in remote areas.
Meanwhile, Kenya's Save the Elephants is using machine learning to improve wildlife population surveys.
An aerial survey that previously required nine people working for nine months can now be analysed in hours using AI, according to the organisation.
The technology also revealed significant gaps in traditional surveys, with human observers missing approximately one-third of elephants, half of zebras and giraffes, and three-quarters of oryx populations.
At the Jane Goodall Institute, AI is helping digitise decades of handwritten chimpanzee research from Tanzania's Gombe National Park, reducing a project previously estimated to take up to 15 years to approximately two years.
The rapid expansion of AI infrastructure is creating new challenges for climate action. According to the International Energy Agency, global data centres could consume around 945 terawatt-hours of electricity annually by 2030, roughly equivalent to Japan's annual electricity consumption.
Their associated emissions could exceed 300 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, while water consumption is projected to more than double from 560 billion litres in 2023 to 1.2 trillion litres annually by 2030.
Technology companies including Microsoft, Google and Amazon have reported rising emissions linked partly to data-centre expansion.
Some organisations are adopting measures to reduce AI's environmental footprint.
The World Resources Institute limits energy-intensive applications, including AI-generated images and videos, while reusing previously processed results to avoid unnecessary computation.
The Nature Conservancy uses AI-powered cameras aboard fishing vessels to analyse catches locally rather than transferring large volumes of footage to centralised data centres.
Greenpeace International, however, remains sceptical about the need for expanding AI infrastructure, questioning whether its environmental costs justify widespread deployment.
The debate is expected to feature at this month's COP31 climate summit in Türkiye, where governments and businesses will be encouraged to commit to principles for sustainable AI development.
For conservation organisations, the challenge is increasingly whether AI's potential to accelerate environmental protection can outweigh the resources required to power it.
Global temperatures are projected to rise by up to 2.8°C above pre-industrial levels by 2100 under current climate policies, according to a Uni...
Environmental organisations worldwide are increasingly using artificial intelligence to monitor wildfires, protect endangered species and analyse c...
Poland began two days of national mourning on Sunday (8 November) and police bolstered security after six people were killed in a mass shooting in ...
Poland has declared two days of national mourning after a gunman opened fire in Kraków's historic main square. Investigators are examining possible far-right influences and the discovery of three bodies at the suspect's home.
Poland began two days of national mourning on Sunday (8 November) and police bolstered security after six people were killed in a mass shooting in Kraków that the government said was likely inspired by far-right ideology.
Russian forces launched a ballistic missile attack on Kyiv early on Saturday, 7 November, injuring two people and damaging residential buildings, just three days before U.S.-led peace talks with Ukraine and Russia in Abu Dhabi.
The Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen's Houthis said it intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles fired by the Iran-aligned group towards Riyadh on Sunday (8 November), after loud booms were heard in the Saudi capital. The Aramco building was damaged by falling debris.
New Zealand’s ruling centre-right National Party has taken a narrow lead over the opposition Labour Party in Saturday’s general election, with the country’s current three-party coalition projected to retain power.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday he would support states seeking to generate wealth through artificial intelligence, pledging to work with them as Democrats outlined plans to address the technology following Tuesday’s elections, which unsettled markets.
Dubai will host GITEX Global 2026 from 7 to 11 December, bringing together global technology leaders, governments and investors as surging demand for artificial intelligence (AI) puts pressure on energy supplies, computing capacity and digital infrastructure.
Saudi Aramco's acquisition of a 49 per cent stake in artificial intelligence (AI) company HUMAIN is putting a spotlight on a wider investment question: why are some of the world's biggest energy companies moving deeper into AI, and what do they expect to gain?
A Chinese-made AI chip has matched Nvidia’s H200 in tests conducted by its developer, marking a potential breakthrough in China’s efforts to reduce its dependence on foreign technology.
Two of the United States' largest technology companies reported robust revenue growth in their latest quarterly results, underscoring the continued impact of artificial intelligence and cloud computing on the sector.
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